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At Potomac Paddlesports, the first professional kayak school to be endorsed by the American Canoe Association, the team of American Canoe Association– and British Canoe Union–certified instructors patiently lead students through a methodical progression of flat-water paddling skills. The classes cover a variety of watersports, including whitewater rafting, river and sea kayaking, and standup paddling. The small-group classes are designed to keep students engaged, and longer trips down the Potomac challenge their skills with powerful rapids surrounded by lush scenery, interspersed with rare glimpses of bears putting on their bear suits. Outside of class, students can bond with fellow paddlers during weekly sushi meals and occasional movie nights. Further demonstrating their dedication to bodies of water, Potomac Paddlesports works to preserve the nation’s rivers, estuaries, and oceans, sharing this passion with its members through advocacy and donations to conservation programs.

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title: Terrapin Adventures
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html_text: Terrapin Adventures never fails to live up to its name—even their swing set gets the stomach fluttering with excitement. To be fair, though, the swing in question is anything but the traditional apparatus you'd find at a city park. It seats three people and starts its trajectory 40 feet above the ground, generating 2Gs of force as it swishes riders back and forth over the landscape. The park's other attractions are equally exhilarating. On the high ropes course, visitors attached to sturdy safety harnesses cross 18 traverses situated between lofty platforms; some must be tackled via a rickety bridge, while others require leaps of faith. The 43-foot high climbing tower offers 10 routes up and down, including a head-first downward climb over the Rainbow Serpent. Otherwise, the 330-foot-long zipline sends visitors gliding through the treetops at speeds of up to 20 mph, fast enough to beat the USA track team's star squirrel.

Sound Excursions describes their carefully curated group experiences as "field trips for adults." It's easy to see why: every outing takes groups to a new realm of Washington, whether it's the frothy shores of Puget Sound, inland forests and mountains, or tables at Seattle's thriving restaurants. The events held at these diverse locations range from culinary workshops on topics such as sushi-making and moonshine-tasting, to adventurous excursions with whitewater rafting or kayaking, to laid-back themed party cruises. For many outings, luxury transportation is provided.

Ride the coasters with the whole family at Cabin John's Liquid Adventures.
Looking for a bite to eat? This park also has an awesome restaurant.
The perfect place to take the kids, this park won't cost you a sitter.
Parking is plentiful, so patrons can feel free to bring their vehicles.

"All paddling, no politics" is the motto of
Boating In DC. Instead of arguing about which Supreme Court justice's robe is the most stylish, guests can explore the Potomac via kayak, stand-up paddleboard, or pedal boat. During solo-adventures, tours, and introductory lessons, customers take in sights such as Smoot's Cove, Woodrow Wilson Bridge, the Old Town Alexandria skyline, and the National Harbor waterfront. Dogs are also welcome board as Boating In DC stocks Fido-sized life jackets. They've also got yoga classes that take place on paddleboards, and the river makes a convenient spot to rinse off for those who are running late to their Cabinet-nomination hearings.

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title: Active Nature
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Some people might think of the White House as the heart of the Washington, DC region. However, to Active Nature's guides, the region's heart is the rushing Potomac River and its surrounding parks. It's where they teach paddle sports such as kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding.
The team draws from diverse backgrounds—some have even paddled in the Olympics for the U.S. and other countries—but they all believe that anyone can learn to paddle. The keys, which they emphasize whether they're training newbies or Active Nature's competitive paddling team, never change: technical skill, confidence, and river knowledge. (The latter means not just navigating the river adeptly, but treating it well, with sustainability in mind.)

Groupon Guide

Whitewater rafting is only possible on a very specific type of river—young, fast, and full of rocks. That rare combination results in the all-natural thrill ride known as rapids. But what happens under the surface of the water that creates such an adventure for a raft or kayak?What Churns a RiverAs long as there’s gravity to pull it, water will flow. And given enough time, that flow will erode everything in its path, forming a big, calm river that moves quietly toward the sea. A younger river, however, lacks that serenity. Only soft rocks break down easily, so the water instead does anything it can to get around the other obstacles, bending around and over the harder rocks that block the way. Particularly in fast, steep streams, these obstacles break up the flow of the water, causing it to fall, splash, and tumble over itself and capture tiny oxygen bubbles that look white as they crest. Functioning like a bunch of small waterfalls, these turbulent pockets result in rapids, the stretches of whitewater that challenge adventurers to navigate their rafts, kayaks, or horses safely through to reach the calmer currents below.Matters of ClassOf course, no two rivers are exactly the same—and even the same river can vary from year to year due to flooding, downed trees, and weather patterns that lead to changes in the water level. What could one year be a trickling stream could the next be a dangerous torrent. To account for the difference from river to river and season to season, rafters have adopted an international scale for classifying rapids: Class I: a wide, clear channel with easily avoidable rocks. Minimal danger. Class II: novice-level rapids that might require occasional maneuvering and basic paddling to handle obstacles. Class III: more irregular waves, a swift current, and tight passages that require complex maneuvering and may call for advance scouting. Class IV: intense but predictable rapids, complete with large drops and stretches of continuous whitewater. Inexperienced paddlers beware. Class V: the toughest of the classified rapids, containing multiple obstacles and demanding fit, experienced paddlers. Class V rapids can be further designated on a multiple-level scale, from 5.1 to 5.9, in which each level is an order of magnitude harder than the last.
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